Dear Colleagues,

Solid Waste Management is facing new challenges that require new management models that may contribute to an effective material recovery (organics, metals, plastics, glass, paper and cardboard, textiles, among others), create new business models in the spirit of the Circular Economy, and generate new forms of energy, such as biomethane, bioH₂, bioethanol, biomethanol, syngas, pyrolysis oils, among others. In any case, the new solid waste management models and future scenarios must comprise low environmental burdens in all their dimensions: Global Warming, Ecotoxicity, Toxicity to Human Populations, Acidification Potential, Eutrophication Potential, Renewable Energy Production, Scarcity of Fossil and Mineral Resources, Land Use Change, among others. In this context, the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) appears as an important tool for the environmental assessment of the old, the new, and the future solid waste management models that are currently in practice, being implemented, or being designed, respectively, in Developed and Developing countries.

In this context, this special issue is devoted to gathering high-quality and original LCA studies in current and future solid waste management systems of the following types but not limited to:

• Municipal solid wastes, including both the recyclable and non-recyclable fractions of plastics, cardboard, paper, metals, glass, textiles, and food wastes;
• Wastes from water and wastewater treatment (wastewater treatment sludge and water treatment sludge);
• Wastes from thermal processes (bottom ashes, fly ashes, and slags);
• Electric and electronic wastes;
• Construction, refurbishment, and demolition wastes of civil engineering activities;
• Health-care and medical wastes;
• Wastes from vehicles’ maintenance and end-of-life vehicles;
• Industrial wastes from the mining and quarry industry, chemical industry, textile industry, animal breeding industry, agro-food industry, and food processing industry;
• Plastic Wastes
• Agriculture and forest wastes.

In the context of the Circular Economy, Cradle-to-cradle LCA studies are preferred, but LCA studies of the types cradle-to-grave, cradle-to-gate, and gate-to-gate can also be considered in this special issue.

LCA studies contributing to the reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions from solid waste management systems are also welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Nuno Lapa
Dr. Elena Surra
Guest Editors

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• life cycle analysis
• solid waste management
• municipal wastes
• industrial wastes
• agriculture wastes
• forest wastes
• circular economy